


The Mooniversary (part 3) - The Waning Moon

by nosefIower



Series: The Croods: Misadventures of the Betterman Farm Season 1 [9]
Category: Dawn of the Croods (Cartoon), The Croods (Movies), The Croods: A New Age (Movies)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Comedy, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Flashbacks, Fluff and Humor, Funny, Gen, Humor, Memories, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Nostalgia, Pack Family, Romantic Comedy, Sitcom, Women Being Awesome, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 02:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nosefIower/pseuds/nosefIower
Summary: The Croods: Misadventures of the Betterman FarmSeason 1Episode 9: The Mooniversary (part 3) - The Waning MoonOn Eep and Guy's mooniversary the Bettermans begin to reconsider their feud, thinking back to memories from their past when they were a young couple, as usual, Dawn has a hand in reuniting her parents, and Grug is...feeling a little distanced from his bro...
Relationships: Banana Bros (The Croods), Eep/Guy (The Croods), Grug (The Croods)/Phil Betterman, Grug/Ugga (The Croods), Guy's parents (The Croods) - Relationship, Hope Betterman/Phil Betterman, Hope Betterman/Ugga (The Croods), Sash/Belt (The Croods), Ugga/Hope (The Croods)
Series: The Croods: Misadventures of the Betterman Farm Season 1 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094084
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	The Mooniversary (part 3) - The Waning Moon

**Author's Note:**

> in honor of March being Women's History Month, March 8th being International Women's Day, and March 14 being Mother's Day in the UK - this story is dedicated to all the tiger girls, thunder sisters, and queen matriarchs ~
> 
> hope you enjoy this installment of the Misadventures of the Betterman Farm - this week we return to a Eep and Guy's mooniversary celebration but Hope has a few too many other things weighing on her mind...and Phil has a few too many banana bro recipes on his... enjoy ~

“There you are!” Dawn chirped, finding a distraught Guy, “come on!” she said, grabbing his hand, “Eep and I have been looking all over for you!” and started running towards the invention hut “Okay, no peeking,” Dawn giggled covering Guy’s eyes as they approached the hut, “Eep!” she called out, “I found him!”

Eep popped out from another direction and hurried over to Dawn, the two girls were giggling and shush-ing each other as they made their way towards the invention hut

“Where-?” Guy began

“Shhh,” Eep giggled, “you’ll see,” she answered back

Having arrived in front of the door of the invention hut “Okay, you can open your eyes in three,” Eep counted

“Two,” Dawn chirped

“One,” Eep said giving Guy a little boop on the nose and Dawn uncovered his eyes

“Woah!” Guy gasped in his usual way of being excited to the point where his exclamation came across as a laugh, “what- what is this place?!”

“The invention hut,” Dawn chirped, “Eep thought you’d like some space in here,”

Guy was too enthralled to listen to Dawn’s comment

“How-how have I never been here before?” he said scurrying across the room “I get my own desk!” he gasped touching the wood of Ms.Betterman’s former workspace

“More like you get your own room,” Dawn added with a shrug, “my parents don’t really uhhh...come in here anymore,”

“I get my own room!” Guy echoed and scampered his way over to Eep like an excitable young child, “thank you thank you thank you,” he repeated hugging his wife to which she just smiled and patted his hair

“And it comes with a chair pillow,” Ms.Betterman said walking into the space and reaching behind a cubby to present said pillow and placed the cushion on Guy’s chair

“Made with chicken seal feathers!” Dawn chirped then pondering for a moment, “hey mom, do we still have-”

“Right over there,” Hope said pointing to a cabinet at the far corner of the room

“Still have what?” Guy asked

“My old invention book,” Dawn said pulling out the item she had inquired about

Guy gasped again looking at the cabinet, “a whole cabinet of ideas!”

“Only the finest of ideas if I do say so myself,” Phil bellowed making a grand entrance into the room, to which Hope rolled her eyes “ and I - Phil Betterman - do indeed say so,” 

Guy was scavenging the the idea cabinet and pulled out a leaflet reading its title aloud “Rigging for the chickenseal trap for beyond-the-wall creatures” 

“My idea,” Hope said nonchalantly

Guy picked up another leaflet, “Harvesting energy using the power of the water mill...for evolved thinkers,” Guy read

“My idea,” Phil bellowed

Guy grabbed another leaflet wedged far in the back of the cabinet, “The manc-” 

“My ide-” Phil began then suddenly stopped himself

“Your idea!” Hope glared at Phil and snatched the leaflet from Guy examining the blueprint of the mancave

“Who wants mooncake!?” Dawn chirped hastily coming between her parents with the tray from breakfast

Ms.Betterman didn’t bother arguing further and threw the leaflet aside, “you’re really something Mr.Betterman,” and with the simplicity of that statement she left 

Phil slumped his shoulders, it was a simple retort but weighed heavy on him, and he took a lone mooncake from the tray his daughter was holding, “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the kithcen,” he bellowed melancholically and left

And after a few odd moments of silence Guy mustered a, “sorry,” between his teeth as he picked up the mancave leaflet

Dawn shrugged with a slight smile, “don’t worry,” she said looking back at the mooniversary couple and then walking towards the window, “my parents have a way of fixing things themselves, “ and all three looked out the window to see a fuming Ms.Betterman walk towards the garden

“Now,” Dawn continued, “who wants to hear some old invention stories,” she said waving her sketchbook in the air and the trio sat down together on the floor of the invention hut passing around mooncakes as Dawn began her tales

“Okay,” Dawn began, “this one begins with some turtle doves and an idea…” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ms.Betterman stood in the garden approaching a flower that seemed to attract a singular ray of sunlight that highlighted its petals. She lightly cupped it and stroked the beam of light that fell on it as a breeze suddenly ran through her hair and she felt a strange familiarity about it.

“Taking a morning stroll?” Hope heard and looked up from the flower to see Ugga approaching Sandy in hand

“Oh, Ugga!” Hope said taken out of her daze, “I was uh- I was just-” she didn’t finish her sentence and just sighed, lowering herself to sit on the grass and Ugga sat beside her

“I’ve never seen one like that,” Ugga said softly commenting on the flower that had captivated Hope’s attention feeling she had a deeper connection to it

“It’s from a place...far from here,” Hope mentioned, then reached her hands out to Ugga in a motion indicating she wanted to hold Sandy and Ugga handed her the child. Hope placed Sandy on her lap and lightly brushed her hand through her hair, moving her hand away at times Sandy attempted to bite her, but Hope had grown accustomed to the child and knew at exactly what times to move her hand to avoid injury and soon Sandy softly purred in her lap and Hope gazed out towards the waterfall then back at the sunlit flower

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Where are we going?” a younger Hope asked her friend girl

“No questions, just come!” her best friend responded in a way both mysterious and welcoming as she grabbed Hope’s hand and began to lead her through a field, the two running hand in hand 

“But where-?” Hope began to ask again

Her friend giggled, “ah, the Better girl and her questions!” she remarked and ran even faster, furthering themselves from the scenes of their village

“Ah!” Hope began to retort, “always one to run off into trouble,” and her friend snickered at the accusation

“As long as you’re there to pull me out of it,” the girl retorted, “and we’re here,” she said slowing her pace

Hope needed a moment to take it all in, the blur she had seen while running manifested itself into a prairie of tall yellow flowers and she watched her friend run her hand along the stems of them. The yellow complimenting her friend’s dark hair and chiseled features. A singular sunbeam seemed to make its way through the foliage of the flowers and land on her

“Sunflowers,” she said

“What?” Hope asked being broken out of her summer daze

“I call them sunflowers,” her friend repeated picking one and handing it to Hope

She took the flower offered to her and looked at her beaming friend, “I see why Pony calls you his ray of sunshine,” Hope commented

“Ah, that old pet name,” Ray snickered rolling her eyes, “don’t you have a certain someone who calls you-”

“I have an idea!” Hope announced interrupting Ray’s thought to which Ray eyed her friend, but Hope wasn’t one to let her friend get the better of her and sat her down in the tall grass, “I think your Pony will like this one,” she grinned and Ray seemed to be grinning back with that cryptic gleam in her dark eyes

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I am telling you the lady loves the manbun” Phil announced to his best friend, "or as I like to call it the Manbun - by Phil Man"

“How interesting,” Pony huffed clearly not interested as Phil was styling his hair 

“Why, that Better girl can hardly stay away from such a dashing Man like myself, you see…” Phil continued and Pony allowed his friend to ramble on about his failed advances towards the Better girl, as he clearly remembered just earlier today seeing Hope and Ray run off together to avoid him

“There,” Phil finished placing two banana leaves in Pony’s hair as a final touch. Phil joyously grabbed a reflective stone and with the other hand put his arm around his best friend and pulled him in close as the two looked at their reflection and to both his horror and humor, Pony saw that him and Phil were now mirror images of each other

Pony reached his hand around to feel the hair style and instead of sensing his usual ponytail he felt-

“Matching Manbuns!” Phil announced with the same two banana leaves accessorizing his hair 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sit still!” Hope giggled at her friend as she attempted to braid her hair 

The sun sat proudly at the highest point in the sky on the longest day of the year. Ray finally settled down a bit and let Hope finish weaving the sunflowers into her hair, she felt the ground and picked up a fallen sunflower and began peeling its petals away to reveal its bulb underneath

“Here,” she said handing it to Hope

“What’s this?” Hope asked her friend

Ray grinned mischievously, “a sunflower bulb,” she said, then added, “perhaps you can give it to someone special...like a certain Man boy?” she leaned back to look at her friend and fluttered her lashes

Hope pushed her friend’s head back teasingly, “look forward,” she said placing the bulb back in her friend’s hand and finishing the braids

Ray reached back to touch the hair style and to her surprise she felt two braids, a bit stunned, she turned to look back at Hope who in her younger years wore a singular braided strand

Hope noticed the inquiry in Ray’s eyes and weaved her hand within that of her friend girl’s and lightly kissed her on the cheek, “I watched how my mother braids her hair last night…” she said softly, letting the thought trail off as the only answer to Ray’s quizzical look but the answer was enough for Ray as she leaned back into Hope’s chest and the two friends laid there for a long while letting the sounds of high summer lure them into a sort of trance. The young women watched the sun slowly fall down from its high noon position until suddenly Ray perked up and began running.

Hope rolled her eyes before beginning to run after her friend noticing the sunbeam the girl was chasing through the canopy of the sunflowers and Hope wondered if her friend would ever stop chasing after a gleam of light.

“Where do you think they go?” Ray had stopped running as the beam of sunshine had once again landed on her and she reached her hand out as if to touch it

Hope panted catching up to her friend, “come on, we’ll be late,” she said giving her a gently tug

Ray still stood there, lowering her hand for a moment to take the sunflower bulb out of her pocket and held it up to the ray of light, she turned back to her friend and firmly put the bulb in Hope’s hand and closed Hope’s open palm, “give this to someone special one day,” Ray said and just as Hope was about to protest, “not the Man boy,” Ray assured with a sudden sternness, “someone else,” and in her voice Hope felt her friend held a strange knowledge of the future but didn’t inquire further, “now let’s go!” Ray chirped suddenly grabbing her friend’s hand and running back towards the village as the sounds of festivities began to emerge in the air

“Ever the one to go chasing the light!” Hope teased as the sun seemed to follow Ray’s tracks

“You’re one to talk!” Ray called back as the young women ran even faster, “at least I’m not one to go chasing waterfalls!” she called out looking back to give her friend a quick wink and Hope gasped as her Ray had just revealed she was aware of the super-secret, not-so-secret date Hope had been on with Phil the previous night that had lasted until the dawn

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ah, there’s my ray of sunshine,” Pony said in awe as he and Phil watched the two girls descend from the prairie

“And, there’s my beacon of Hope,” Phil announced 

Pony rolled his eyes, Ray hadn’t told him of her knowledge that Hope actually had developed some feelings for Phil and she felt it best to keep it that way, for now

“Ray!” Pony called out guiding the women over to where he and Phil stood

“Pony!” she called back out approaching him

“Hope!” Phil said offering his a hand to her

“Phil-” she said dryly refusing his gesture but Phil didn’t seem to mind enamored by the Better girl's presence

“Oh…” Ray said taking in Pony’s new look

“Ravishing isn’t he?” Phil said, putting his hands on his bro’s shoulder, “much like his...fellow bro?” Phil finished winking at Hope to which she scoffed but Phil saw a slight curl of a smile forming on Hope’s lips

Ray noticed the slight smile too, “Pony!” she chirped quickly, “I forgot that...thing,”

“Oh, that thing,” Pony said not quite knowing what was going on but looking into Ray’s dark eyes that held as many tomorrows as it did secrets, was always aware of when Ray would begin a charade, “well, let’s go look for that...thing,”

“Yes!” Ray chirped, grabbing Pony’s hand, “you two go on ahead of us, we’ll catch up soon!” she called out to Hope Better and Phil Man and with that, she and Pony were off running in the opposite direction of the festival

Hope watched in bewilderment as her best friend ran off, then turned back to see Phil grinning widely

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “why, it seems we are both here...together at this particular place, at this particular moment in time,” he began

“Save it Phil,” she said but there was no coldness in her voice, rather amusement as she stepped forward and pushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of Phil’s manbun behind his ear. As she leaned close she noticed the vine he used to tie his manbun together had been secured using a hitch knot that she had taught him and she smiled at the sight, stepping back she laughed a little nervously, “we better get going,” she said nodding her head towards the sound of the growing gathering of the village as the sun was ever increasing the heat of the day

“Together?” he inquired, “ah, the Better girl,” Phil bellowed, “ever the one with the great ideas!”

“I’ll do you one better,” she said gaining more confidence in her voice, “Will you Phil Man…” she paused not believing the words that were about to leave her mouth, “...be my date to the solstice festival?”

Phil’s heart nearly leapt with joy, “Yes!” he shrieked, then gaining some composure, “I mean, why, yes… I can do that,” he bellowed

Hope reached out her hand to him and he took it, she pulled him in close, “if anyone asks, it's a one time thing, and you begged me to be your date, got it?” she said sharply and Phil nodded contently to finally have his beacon of hope in his arms

“And care to go to the waterfall afterwards my dear Hope?” he asked raising his eyebrows slightly to which she eyed him and gave a slight nod as the two began walking towards the festival hand in hand

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray and Pony had watched the whole interaction from their lookout spot in their often visited tree

“You tied the hitch knot for him didn’t you?” Ray asked Pony

And Pony just nodded, unable to speak, an expression of shock frozen on his face, “I never thought...I didn’t think...the two of them?!” he sputtered to which Ray just laughed amused

“Best you not try to rationalize it,” she laughed, “the Better girl has a way with her Man,” she smiled not divulging too much of her friend’s secrets, “now, let’s get going,” Ray stated but not before undoing her lover’s manbun into a style she was more familiar with, “I like the ponytail” she said and gave him a small peck on the lip before running off towards the direction of the sun and the sounds of the festival.

And Pony watched on for a moment as the sun’s rays enveloped his love then took off running towards her, following her light

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope sighed as the memory passed through her mind and noticed a loose strand on Sandy’s hair and attempted to tuck the wild flyaway behind her ear

“You miss her,” Ugga whispered softly 

And Hope nodded, “she always knew what to do,”

“You know Hope,” Ugga said placing her hand on her friend’s cheek and gently turning her friend’s head to face the direction of Mr.Betterman in the kitchen, “I have a feeling you do too,” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“No way you tried to jump over the walls,” Eep laughed

“Yes, way,” Dawn chuckled seated in the invention hut and showing the mooniversary couple her old sketches of wings she tried to make modeled off of turtle doves

“Do you have any more empty sketchbook leaflets?” Guy asked

“Sure,” Dawn shrugged and pulled one out of the cabinet, “here,” she said and Guy took the leaflet with a boyish excitement, “what should I make first, what else does this farm need?” he asked, “what about a watering system instead of using the moomoths?” Guy offered

“Already working on it,” Dawn said flipping to a page in her book to show a diagram of bamboo pipes put together,”

“A rock climbing wall?” Eep suggested and Dawn’s eyes widened with joy

“A travel window...mini,” Thunk said entering the room holding Douglas

“Privacy,” Guy muttered as Grug walked in

“Have you seen Phil?” the confused-looking caveman asked looking around the room

And suddenly the five of them smelled the strong scent of bronana bread 

“I have an idea!” Dawn said chirping up, taking a glance to look out the window at her mother then focused her attention back inside staring intently at Grug

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Uhhh...bro?” Grug said entering the kitchen that had a strong smell of baked bananas...stronger than usual, “Have you been baking bronana bread...without me?” 

“It’s bad Grug,” Phil sobbed, “it’s not just bronana bread,”

“It’s chicken seal egg custard,”

“Frozen condensed sweetened shark milk,” 

“Bronana brioche,”

“Soft rain and flour crescent moon bread,”

“Bite sized bronana bread,”

“Banana punchmonkey pound cake,”

“And a bronana pie with shark milk and raspberry filling!” Phil sobbed finishing his list of baked goods and grabbing a banana peel to wipe his tears

Grug looked on a both confused and concerned for his bro and walking over to him pulled out a chair to which Phil heartbrokenly plopped himself into after blowing his nose in his banana pattern apron

“I messed up bad Grug…” Phil began as if beginning a soliloquy and raising his arm dramatically to present it

Grug, not much a fan of his bros long winded explanations, quickly said something to end Phil’s upcoming story, “Uhhh...why don’t you tell Ms.Betterman how you feel…” he looked behind him to confirm with Dawn who was hiding behind the entrance of the kitchen that that’s what he should be saying and she gave him a thumbs up of approval while adding a wave of her hands motion that implied he add one more suggestion to the mix, “uhhh...and that you're sorry?” Grug finished with a shrug again looking back at Dawn for approval which was met by a thumbs up of not only her but Eep and Guy and Thunk who was intently watching Phil through his travel window, all four also hiding behind the entrance of the kitchen 

"I thought you said your parents could solve this on their own?" Guy whispered to Dawn

"Yes…" Dawn said "on their own with lots of persuasion, now shhhh!" she whispered back sharply 

Phil pondered Grug's suggestion for a moment...just before bursting into a fit of laughter to the point that his tears of sorrow appeared to turn into tears of joy and he grabbed another banana peel to wipe them

“That’s a good one Gruggers,” Phil said, putting his arm around his bro and patting the caveman’s chest, “you understand don’t you, big guy?” 

Grug looked back at Dawn, Eep, Guy, and Thunk who were shaking their heads fervently “Uhhh...sure?” Grug questioned with a little shrug and the four facepalmed at the lost moment of opportunity 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t understand,” Grug began whining to his neighbors, “he was making bronana recipes...without me!”

The head butt monkey gave a little shriek and began butting its head against a rock in annoyance

“I know!” Grug said, “that’s how I feel, what do you think dude with weird eyes?”

The dude with weird eyes in question stared at Grug intently although his under eyelid twitched as if straining to pay attention

“It’s like he’s changed,” Grug continued, not seeking a true response, “with his cooking alone and talking about butter batter baking,”

The mouth breather monkey breathed loudly in annoyance 

“I know!” Grug said, “can you believe him? Whatever happened to all our bro times in the mancave! We haven’t gone in like 3 moons time!” 

The brain squeezer monkey squeezed its own brain

Grug continued his rant, “He was using big words and- and...talking fancy inventions like flushers, acting all smarty pants, it’s like I don’t know who he is anymore!” Grug finished solemnly, “and…” the caveman began weeping, “he forgot what day it is…” he cried shedding a few tears

The monkeys looked at each other in confusion and one offered a banana peel to Grug to wipe his tears which the caveman gratefully accepted. The leader of the punchmonkeys had sat through Grug’s entire monologue to which it replied with a cock of its head in confusion

“Oh…” Grug said realizing the monkeys hadn’t understand his words and made a few punches in rudimentary punchmonkey to get his point across

Punch - low jab - upper cut - low blow - fingers up the nose  
Translation: Bro no want make zesty banana pudding

And the punch monkeys gasped at hearing that

As if in sympathy the leader monkey hit Grug with some advice

“Come again?” Grug asked 

And after delivering a few more punches, “one more time?” Grug uttered

The leader of the punchmonkeys shrieked aggravated and reaching for the banana that hangs on his staff offered it to the heartbroken caveman and gently tapped his cheek

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evening had come and the women and Thunk were spending their time with the mooniversary couple in their hut. Hope had insisted on it and the clan felt there was something weighing in the modern woman as of late.

“Sit still!” Hope called out to her daughter as she was trying to braid her hair. 

Dawn crossed her arms as her mother was untying her current braid and running her fingers through her hair to brush it out and Hope began stranding together the beginnings of a single braid, taking the moonlilly flower crown off her daughter's head and picking the flowers out as she began to also weave those into her hair. Ugga sat beside her with Sandy in her lap also grooming her daughter’s hair. And Gran was-

“Be free Wigasus!” Gran called taking her hair off her head and letting it fly into the night. She chuckled, “she’ll be back in the morning,” she said taking a seat next to Hope and Dawn in the mooniversary hut

“Ow-!” Dawn called out at the tug of her hair by her mother, “it wouldn’t hurt so much if you stop squirming,” Hope stated, tying off Dawn’s braid with a strand of a vine, then called out to Eep “come here fireheart,” she said kindly patting the floor between her feet as Dawn scooted away from that spot and Eep took her place, “one last gift for the mooniversary girl,” Hope whispered then looked towards her daughter and motioned her head for her to come help and Dawn’s eyes swelled with joy, it had been a long time since she had seen a woman be given her second braid. The two of them, mother and daughter started on Eep’s hair. Dawn took the right side and Hope took the left as the two began forming two braids through her untamed and wild hair. And Guy sat beside his wife taking the flowers that had been part of her flower crown and handing them to the women to braid into her hair. 

Dawn and Hope finished tying off their respective section of Eep’s hair and looked at their work with a smile

“Look!” Dawn squealed grabbing the mirror in the room and running back to her friend girl to show her her reflection

Belt purred amazed

“Woah,” Thunk gasped through the travel window at Eep’s new look

“Ooh la la” Sash commented and the clan of women nodded seeing the tiger girl’s two braids

“Beautiful,” Hope said lifting Eep’s chin to get a better look at her 

“Hey,” Guy said lifting Eep’s chin from Hope’s hand and turning her head to face him

“Hey,” Eep said back

“Hey,” Hope said slapping Guy’s hand away, “I’m not done,” and she licked her thumb and attempted to settle Eep’s flyaway hairs and when the attempt proved unsuccessful said, “there, now we’re done,”

“One more thing,” Hope called out to the mooniversary couple motioning to them to come near her. Guy noticed Hope was cupping something in her hands, an item she had held onto for a long time he felt. She opened her palm to reveal...

“A seed?” Eep asked and Hope nodded, taking Eep’s palm and resting her hand on top of Guy’s then placed the bulb in the couple’s joint hands.

“It’s called a sunflower,” Hope said softly then looking at Guy added, “your mother’s favorite,” as she closed the couple’s hand over the bulb, finally being released of a promise she had held onto for years

“Oh,” Guy began quietly, “thank you,” then turning to Eep, “...let’s plant it tomorrow…”

Hope nodded nostalgically and leaned in to kiss Eep then Guy on the cheek, “goodnight you two,” she said and the rest of the women followed suit

Dawn was last and gave her best friend girl and childhood best friend a giant hug bringing the three in close and Hope looked on grateful that Dawn would have a friendship to Eep as Hope had had to Ray. Ugga placed a hand on Hope’s shoulder as if sensing Hope’s thoughts, “you did good,” she whispered and the two walked out of the hut giving the couple the rest of the night to enjoy their mooniversary alone.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope stood in her sleeping looking out the window to the lagoon, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door, on the other side of which was her daughter.

“Mom...can I...can I sleep with you tonight?” Dawn asked 

And Hope looked endearingly at her daughter tucking a loose strand of hair behind Dawn’s ear, “of course honey,” she answered and Dawn jumped onto her mother’s bed and Hope cuddled her daughter close to her, tracing a finger along the braid she had weaved into her hair.

Dawn rolled over to face her mother and did the same, “mom,” she began timidly, “when did you get your second braid?”

Hope thought for a moment, thinking back to her old life, “I can’t quite remember,” she whispered lost in thought attempting to find an entry back to memories she at times wished to forget, “one day my mother just thought...it was time…” she looked on at her daughter and using her hand raised her chin so that their gazes met, “there’s no rush,” she assured in a whisper and placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead

Dawn curled up in a ball at the gesture and brought herself even closer to her mother’s embrace, curling up against Hope’s chest. Hope looked on at her daughter as her breathing tempered to a slower pace indicating her slow lull into sleep. Hope lightly stroked her daughter’s hair and thought about her own mother and the night she had given Hope her second braid. One day she would tell Dawn the story Hope thought to herself, when she was ready. She noticed the slow rising and falling of Dawn’s chest and knew her daughter was now fast asleep, she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, “maybe I’m just not ready to let you go...” she whispered and laid her head down and closed her eyes.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope dreamt that night of her mother.

“Mom?” a younger Hope called out unable to sleep one night and entered her mother’s room in their home to find it empty, “mom?” she called out again to no response. She walked outside to a fully moonlit night and saw her mother sitting along the shoreline and ran over to her

“Mom, you should head inside,” Hope said attempting to help her frail mother up to her feet

“Now, now,” her mother laughed off, “sit here,” she said tapping on a plot of sand between her feet

“Mother, please, let’s get you inside,” Hope insisted

“I’m not spending my last days inside,” her mom said with a weak smile

“Mother-!” Hope choked biting her lip to hold back the emotions she had been suppressing for a while as she had watched her mother grow more sickly with each passing moon cycle

Her mother reached out a frail hand to Hope and Hope allowed herself to be guided down to sitting between her mother’s legs. The moonlight shone on the two women as Hope’s mother unweaved her daughter’s singular braid and began segmenting her hair into two sections. No verbal exchanges were said between the two as Hope’s mother slowly and meticulously began weaving two braids down her daughter’s hair to match her own. When she finished she tucked a single loose strand of hair behind Hope’s ear, rested her chin on her daughter’s shoulder, and wrapped her arms around her daughter’s chest.

“You’re the head of the family now...” she whispered to which Hope burst into tears

Her mother made a small tsk sound and wiped the tears from her daughter’s face, “none of that now,” she said warmly, and lowered one of her hands to gently rub her daughter’s abdomen which only showed the beginning signs of being with child, Phil hadn’t even noticed yet, “you have to be strong for your little one,” her mother whispered

Hope looked on towards the ocean, unable to look back towards her mother, “I’m…” she began, her voice quivering, “...I’m not ready to let you go…” 

Her mother laughed a gentle laugh, “I have a feeling your daughter will be a lot like me,” 

Hope, wide-eyed, looked back at her mother, “daughter?” she asked and her mother simply gave a small nod and grinned in that all-knowing way mothers do

“Tell my granddaughter stories about me will you?” she requested of her daughter to which Hope nodded meekly as the moon began to wane away from the night and the light of the sun sent the colors of dawn into the sky

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn also dreamt that night

“Okay Sash, operation get over that wall begins today,” a younger Dawn said to her sloth friend who voiced some protest and concerned coos, “I’m not spending all my days inside,” Dawn insisted and Sash fainted. 

The young Dawn picked up her sloth friend and brushed some leaves out of her fur, “please Sash?” she asked cupping her small pink friend, “I just want to see where those turtle doves go…” she said her tone in awe of the creatures she’d witness fly over the farm, “and…the wings I tried to make didn’t quite,” she stifled a laugh, “work…” she finished thinking about how flightless as a chickenseal her invention left her

The young sloth still pouted in protest but Dawn wasn’t paying attention, something had caught her eye. The breeze had blown something over the wall that was gently making its way down towards them. Dawn reached out to touch the item and a lone yellow flower landed in her hand

“Ooooh la la,” Sash said in awe

“It looks like…” Dawn began awestruck as pieces of a fragmented memory flowed through her thoughts, “...a ray of sunshine…” she whispered as the images of someone began to form, “...Guy’s mom…” she said to herself quietly as her memory had pieced itself together then suddenly took off running and Sash clung to Dawn’s waist for dear life, “change of plans Sash,” Dawn panted, “the wall is for another day,” and continued running to find her mom in the garden, “Mom!” Dawn called out

“What? What is it Dawn?” Hope said concerned by the frantic nature of her daughter

“Look,” Dawn said in between pants and presented the yellow flower to her mother

Hope looked at the thing, gently cupping it from her daughter’s hands, “I never thought I’d see one of these again…” she said and gripped something round in her pocket but released the item remembering what Ray had shown her and began plucking the petals off the sunflower

“Mom, wha-?!” Dawn began

“Look,” Hope said as she removed the last of the petals to reveal the bulb hidden underneath. She lowered herself to the earth and began digging a hole with her bare hands and motioned for her daughter to follow her suit, both of their hands reaching into the earth to create a small home for the bulb. Hope handed her daughter the bulb and Dawn gently placed it into the earth and covered it with a patch of soil.

Hope sat down and Dawn sat down on her mother’s lap, “now remember, it requires alot of water and-”

“Lots of sunshine,” Dawn said finishing her sentence and Hope wrapped her arms around Dawn, placing her chin on her daughter’s shoulder, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “that’s right,” she whispered planting a kiss on her daughter’s cheek and the two sat there in silence as a gleam of sun landed on the plot where they had planted the bulb, a peace filling their heart to have something that was a living memory of their old life.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope woke up from her dream and looked out the window to the glowing moon, and looked towards her daughter sound asleep with a smile on her face. Hope, unable to fall back asleep, got up from the bed and quietly paced the room then walked towards a small workspace she had made that had replaced her need to go to the invention hut and sat down. She noticed something at the corner of her desk, the bitter leaf mooncake her husband had made for her earlier in the day, Dawn must have set the cake down at her desk when she wasn’t looking. She looked at the mooncake for a while, Ugga’s advice from earlier in the day filling her mind.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phil paced in his room, walking back and forth wrestling with his thoughts and murmuring to himself. He too found himself sitting at the workspace he had made in his room which merited less use of the invention hut. At the corner of his desk stood the moonlilly his wife had placed in his hair the day earlier, now it had dried out. He looked out the window to see the gleam of the moon shine its light down on the dried flower. Having come to a decision, he got up from his desk and made his way to the hut of a certain someone and knocked on the door.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ms.Betterman heard a slight knock and wondered who could be making that noise at this time of the night. She rose from her desk and made her way towards the door, looking back at her daughter for a moment as she did so. Dawn was smiling in her sleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phil stood on the other side of the door nervously as it opened.

“I um...well I…” he stuttered attempting to form words, “...well I suppose...perhaps, I have made a…” he gulped before uttering the following word, “mistake…” he vocalized rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “what I want to say is…” he paused as if this were a monumental moment for him, “...I’m sorry,” he finally mustered, “...you’re special to me and I can’t believe I forgot how important this day is to you…” he sighed and handed the certain someone a bouquet, “will you accept my sincerest apologies...bro?”

Grug grabbed the bouquet of bananas Phil offered him, “I thought you forgot!” the caveman exclaimed

“Happy bronanniversary!” Phil exclaimed wrapping his arms around the caveman 

And Grug responded by wrapping his arms around his bro’s waist and twirling him in the air, “bros for life!” he exclaimed then put his fellow banana brother down

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ms.Betterman looked on at the two men who were creating such a ruckus in the night, “what are they doing?” she whispered to herself then simply shook her head and went back to bed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Gruggers,” Phil said putting an arm around the caveman, you and I have many more years, bronana recipes, and times in the mancave ahead of us,”

“You really think so?” Grug asked blushing

“Indeed, I’ll get started on that bronana loveseat tomorrow big Guy,” Phil assured, “you see Grug, it all started with some bamboo and an idea…”

**Author's Note:**

> Next week: Will we witness a bronanniversary ???
> 
> What other memories does Hope have of Guy's mother?  
> How much man bun could a man bun man if a man could manbun man?  
> Does a younger Dawn ever succeed in jumping over that wall?  
> What else is Ray hiding in that gleam in her eyes?  
> And do punchmonkeys make for good counselors?
> 
> Tune in next time for these answers and more!
> 
> thank you for reading! if you have any story suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments ! :) ~ always love to hear from y'all ~


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